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Though many of us are aware of the great service dogs provide to the US military, few realize that once these K9s are no longer deemed useful as high-performance working dogs, they often end up abandoned in kennels.
This holiday season, you can give one of these retired military working dogs the greatest gift of all—a loving forever home.
Mission K9 Rescue is a dedicated animal welfare organization that is saving as many working dogs as possible in hopes of offering them comfortable, peaceful, and loving homes in which to spend the remainder of their lives.
“There’s an assumption that these working dogs are automatically being taken care of after they leave service,” says Mission K9 president Kristen Maurer, “but that’s not the case. A lot of them are stuck in kennels — not just in the U.S., but overseas. We really need to get them back. We want to honor these dogs that have given their lives for us. We want to make sure they come back and get the retirement they deserve.”
Mission K9 rescues and rehabilitates military working dogs and contract working dogs (who do the same work as their military counterparts, but aren’t owned by the U.S. government), adopting them into loving homes. Many people choose the winter holidays to bring home furry family members, so it’s the perfect time of year to adopt a retiree from Mission K9.
Individuals and families may apply to adopt from Mission K9 at their website, MissionK9Rescue.org.
Even if you can’t adopt, you can support Mission K9’s important work by making a donation.
“These dogs were drafted into what they did; they didn’t choose it,” says Maurer. “They have selflessly given their lives to protect our soldiers, our first responders, and our citizens. And we feel like they deserve the best retirement we can give them.”
For more information, visit MissionK9Rescue.org.
